Emergency alert test on your cellphone May 7

Don’t be alarmed by the emergency alert ping on your cellphone on Monday, May 7. A test for Canada’s new public emergency alert system will sound off on cellphones, tablets and other portable devices in Ontario and Quebec. It will be carried out in the rest of the country on Wednesday, May 9.

According to the Alert Ready website, test signals will go to every mobile device connected to an LTE network at 1:55 pm and will also be aired on TV and radio stations in the same regions. The full schedule is available on www.alertready.ca/#alerts.

As of April 6, all wireless service providers were required to distribute emergency messages under the national warning system known as Alert Ready. Controlled by emergency management officials, these signals will warn the public of imminent threats, such as tornadoes, floods and fires, as well as water contamination and Amber alerts.

Depending upon the service provider, the alerts could make a distinctive noise or simply buzz a device. In some cases, users will have to acknowledge receipt of the alert before being able to resume normal function of their devices. – CINEWS